SADC: No Crisis In Zimbabwe That Requires External Intervention –Spokesperson

Posted by African Examiner African News, Featured, Latest Headlines, News, News Around Africa Saturday, August 15th, 2020

By Daniel Jones, Harare

(AFRICAN EXAMINER)-Zimbabwe government has maintained there is no crisis in the country hence cannot be on the agenda of the upcoming 40th Ordinary Summit of Southern African Development Community (SADC) Heads of State and Government.

The ordinary summit will be virtually held on Monday August 17 and hosted by Mozambique, with official opening and closing ceremonies held on the same day.

Despite growing internal strife caused by abductions and arrest of citizens including journalists, government has said there is no crisis to warrant the situation being discussed at the summit or even at Africa Union (AU).

Briefing journalists, government spokesperson, Monica Mtswangwa who is Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister said claims of a crisis in the southern African country are false.

“There is no crisis in Zimbabwe which needs external intervention. We should refute claims by Press that there is crisis. It is common knowledge that the Zimbabwean issue before the SADC Organ on Politics, Defence and Security and neither is it at the SADC Summit,” she told journalists.

This comes in the wake of a recent meeting between President Mnangagwa and envoys sent by AU chair President Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa.

Mutswangwa said the meeting was not at AU level but “peer to peer level of brotherly Heads of State on bilateral relations.

The mission by the envoys left opposition parties in Zimbabwe disgruntled as they returned to South Africa immediately after a meeting with Mnangagwa without meeting them.

The press conference held by the government spokesperson comes after growing pressure from opposition political parties and citizen calling on SADC Heads of State to act on Zimbabwe at the conference.

Zimbabweans have crafted social media monikers namely #ZimbabweanLivesMatter, #Journalism is not a crime, #FreeHopewell and #ZanupfMustGo in an attempt to gather world attention and support against Mnangagwa government torture.

Some of the messages sent by citizens on SADC official Twitter handle are: “ZimbaweanLivesMatter and the ISIS crisis in Mozambique should also be your number 1 concern,” “SADC is a useless organisation waiting for America to rescue crisis” and “We expect sensible discussions at that jaunt not pamper dictators whose modus operandi is to brutalize their own people.”

Exiled former Cabinet Minister Professor Jonathan Moyo implored opposition parties and civic society to petition SADC.

“As SADC Council of Ministers meet for the 40th SADC Summit, the Zimbabwe opposition and civic society should petition the region’s Heads of State and Government ahead of their meeting on 17 August to get them to act on Zimbabwe to save lives,” he said.

The SADC Council of Ministers met during the week ahead of the Ordinary Summit, with Mozambigue Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation Veronica Nataniel Macamo Dlhovo assuming chairmanship of the council.

She said her goal will be to strive to deepen the collegial spirit, strengthening political and economic unity by promoting inclusive and sustainable economic growth, the industrialization, trade and investment agenda.

Sadc head of secretariat Dr Stergomena Lawrence Tax said the incoming chair will ensure a coordinated and collective action for sustained peace and security in the region.